Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Islet Autoimmunity in Children at Increased Risk for Type 1 Diabetes

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Abstract
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets. Although it is not yet known what initiates the autoimmune process, it is likely that both genetic background and environmental factors contribute to the disease process. Dietary factors have been implicated in the etiology of type 1 diabetes as well as in initiating the autoimmune process that leads to clinical disease. A case-control study from Norway1 reported that children with diabetes were less likely to have been given cod liver oil during infancy than children without diabetes. Given that cod liver oil contains both vitamin D and the marine omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), it was not clear whether the protective factor in cod liver oil was the vitamin D, the marine fatty acids, or both. Although 2 studies reported that children with diabetes were less likely to have taken vitamin D supplements in infancy than children without diabetes,2,3 similar investigations focusing on the intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids have not been conducted to resolve this important question.